The sketch was due to be shown on the programme, in which disabled actors play pranks on an unsuspecting public.

Spazticus has previously won awards for its representation of disabled people, but students felt this skit overstepped the bounds of good taste.

Some members of the college in Southend, Essex, many of whom were elderly, even phoned the police because they thought the model was being assaulted.

The show was commissioned from Zeitgeist Television for a series this year by Channel 4 after its Comedy Lab pilot first ran in 2005, and won a Superfest International Disability Award. A roster of disabled people are included in its writing credits as well as on-screen.

It includes a mixture of mockumentary-style sketches and hidden-camera pranks, and ties in with Channel 4's coverage of the Paralympic Games later this year

When it was commissioned in February, C4 comedy commissioner Nerys Evans, said: "First and foremost, the show will be very funny, but it also showcases some of the best disabled talent."